Travel, Politics and Fine Living

Restaurant Reviews

06/19/2011

6000footdrop.com was inspired by the bonorrific U2 show last week, so we decided to see Ireland for ourselves. Here is the Dromoland Castle Hotel and Spa and Country Club, in western Ireland's County Clare, near Newmarket-on-Fergus. Dromoland was initially constructed in 1543 and still smells like 468 years of fireplace wood.

US President George Bush spent the night at Dromoland in 2006 for an EU/US Summit, reportedly bringing over 700 in his security detail. The Castle has only 70 rooms, so that evening likely had even more (excruciating) american accents than we heard on our two night stay (not to mention a run on their ample extra pillow stash.)

Here is Dromoland's Temple of Mercury, including an invisible ten meter aura perfect for burying a trinket using a spoon borrowed from Dromoland's lovely Earl of Thromond dining room.

Not everything at Dromoland is perfectly nice, however -- for example, here is a very scary hobbit hole.

The nearby 600 foot drop of the Cliffs of Moher (a finalist for one of the new seven wonders of the world) is also scary, especially if you are wobbly from jetlag -- but the cliffs are perfect for BASE jumping if the wind is just right.

The Earl of Thromond dining room was a highlight of the Dromoland stay. Long tailed tuxes on the waitstaff -- not only Irish but from from all over the continent (to assure language coverage, we deduce.) Perfect and formal service ("As you wish, madam" sort of stuff.) Swordfish and tomato mousse amuse bouche; scallop and squab starters; roasted monkfish main plates, and artful but traditional desserts are all presented in the serene surroundings of an elegant room way older than you. Surprisingly, the dinner waitstaff is also there for breakfast (in morning coats.)

06/06/2011

Just larger than Vatican City, the Principality of Monaco and its city-state Monte Carlo is the second-tiniest nation on earth -- about three square miles and 40,000 souls paying no income tax (well, to Monaco anyway.) Here is the Rock of Grimaldi that has housed the world's longest-running monarchy, since 1297.

Prince Albert II has reigned since his father Prince Rainier III's death in 2005. Life-long bachelor Prince Albert admits to two illegitimate children (one in Togo and one in California), but neither can take the Monaco throne upon Albert's demise. At 53, Prince Albert is coming out of the can -- engaged to South African professional swimmer Charlene Wittstock. The Monegasques are hoping for a legitimate heir to carry on the tax haven and relaxed beachwear policies. 6000footdrop.com just happened to come across the 33 year old future princess at a beach party, seen here sash and all.

Prince Albert's parents, Hitchcock-darling Princess Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III, had the foresight in the 1970's to expand their Societe des Bain le Mer empire of grand hotels to include a purpose-built peninsula with a perfect view of their prefecture: Le Monte Carlo Sporting Club, seen here with its huge retractable roof and windows in the closed and open positions.

Renown chef Alain Ducasse is native of Monaco and has three Monte Carlo restaurants, all housed in the monarchy's SBM properties -- the Hotel de Paris' Louis XV and Le Grill, and the new La Trattoria at the Sporting Club, open only from May 12 to September 11. Ducasse's empire has grown to twenty-three restaurants: France, Italy, Monaco, St. Petersberg and even a few remedial diners in the UK and USA. Probably little danger Ducasse will go full-on Wolfgang Puck and be in your grocer's freezer anytime soon, but La Trattoria is certainly the most relaxed of the six Ducasse establishments 6000footdrop.com has breached to date. Arriving on foot at La Trattoria's back door (instead of using the adjacent heli-pad or squeezing the Vespa in between the line of Audi R8's and drophead Bentleys) was easy, since a nice Monaco home for a week is next door at Le Meridien Beach Plaza and its constantly re-arranged private beach, pools, cabanas, boat rentals, and cordoned Mediterranean swim area (including a variety of impounded fish.) Or you could tender it in.

At La Trattoria, we are Initially seated on the signature outdoor patio, above the frog pond Ducasse uses to ensure fresh cuisses de grenouille. A light rain starts with the setting sun, and the staff precisely moves all of the patio patrons back 20 feet to the awaiting arched awning section (using lipstick detection to ensure proper replacement of water glasses.)

Again, the Ducasse service is perfect. At La Trattoria, the Nehru jacket joins the tuxedoes in the waitstaff hierarchy. Many of the patrons are obvious known locals, including a 60-something silver fox in a stunning suit sans socks, red horn rims and cradling a hand-rolled fattie. The casual trattoria menu includes 3035-euro Chateaux Lafite Rothchilds and other exotiques, but we opt for Evian and Badoit.

After the breadstick variety with blueberry almond compote, patrons are given a tri-lingual list of 20+ antipasti from which to tick. We select five that sound edible, leaving the rabbit liver, octopus, and aubergine caviar for next time. Antipasti arrives organized on a silver tray with finesse. Among other helpful descriptions, the waiter reminds us "it is Friday, monsieur" when asked whether the John Dory or the Waygu beef is a better option for a main course.

La Trattoria's purpose-built summer-only schedule drives the architecture -- most of it is outdoors. The full-house eurobabble and savant background score set a cool vibe, giving perfect justification for French people who just might think they are more evolved than, for example, americans. Colored lights and glass, succulents, grass, fountains, frogs, birds, trees perch on a mosaic deck poking out from the Jimmy Z's-side of the Sporting Club looking back upon Monte Carlo ("I would like a peninsula, Rainier.")

It's been awhile since 6000footdrop.com visited a Ducasse establishment not using a two-server tonged-fork dessert-napkin presentation and dinner-napkin removal ceremony, but we got over it with the fluted panna cotta trio. There is also satisfaction in the silent and unexplained presentation of the plate for the secret dessert variety you did not order. Silent and unexplained and secret, like this painted detail on the petrol-tank cap cover of an otherwise completely stealth matte black Rolls Royce parked outside.

La Trattoria will be a success and seems to embrace even a sense of humor. We salute the impending July 2 wedding of Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock wishing Monaco all the best on the royal impending nuptials, heir-creation and future peninsula-development!